


After Life Ends

by Wandering_Starmaster



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Character Death, Character Study, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Loss, Pressing On, Starting Over, enduring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Starmaster/pseuds/Wandering_Starmaster
Summary: Master Zangan had once asked a question Tifa didn't understand. It was years later that she finally grasped what he meant. A perspective on the events of FFVII.
Kudos: 1





	After Life Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Quick Little character piece. Let me know what you think.

Master Zangan had once asked his students, "What will you do if your lives end before you die?" Tifa had been twelve then, so it didn't make much sense to her at the time. As she got older, she started to get a glimmer of what he was getting at, but it wasn't until that fateful day, the day Nibelheim burned, that she finally came to truly understand.

Zangan had gotten her to safety, eventually reaching the city of Midgar. She'd awoken in a hospital there to find him waiting on her. He'd told her what had happened, that as far as he knew, she was the only one to get out. Tifa had fallen back against the bed, overcome with shock. Her town, her father, her entire life…all gone in a matter of hours. It was then that his question from years ago had surfaced in her mind, and she finally knew what it meant.

She had recovered, but while she had opted to stay in Midgar, Zangan had decided to move on. Right before they parted ways, she told him that she understood the question and that she had an answer. "What do we do if our lives end before we die? We build a new life. We press on," she told him. Zangan had smiled at her, recognizing the strength and will to go on. He wished her well and then was on his way. Tifa watched him go, then turned toward her new home. She would rebuild here. She would find a way. She would press on.

* * *

"Biggs! Wedge! Jessie! MARLENE!" Barret's anguished cries echoed through the dusty air as Tifa stared at the mangled wall of metal that had once been Sector 7. She'd known the Shinra were capable of a lot of things, but she'd never imagined they'd stoop this low. Countless innocent people dead, just to eliminate six terrorists. Part of her was surprised at how calm she felt, like her horror threshold had been reached long ago and now she had no emotions left to give.

They had been trying to save the Planet, and what had it got them? An entire city sector destroyed, their comrades killed and on top of that, Aerith had been captured and taken to Shinra Tower. The only bright spot was that she had apparently managed to get Marlene to safety first. That had not seemed to have sunk in with Barrett just yet, and even then, that wouldn't change Biggs, Wedge and Jessie's fates. But still, it was something. Just enough hope to get them through the day. And then…they would see what they could do.

This would not be the end. The Shinra had to be stopped, that was apparent now more than ever. They would get through this, and then they would continue the fight. They would press on.

* * *

Tifa barely registered the creature before her. They were fighting for their lives, but all she could see was Sephiroth descending, his blade drawn. All she could hear was the sound of metal piercing flesh and a sharp gasp of pain. All she could feel was anguish as she saw green eyes close for the last time. Suddenly, JENOVA was gone, the battle was over. As she and the others stopped to catch their breaths, Tifa kept her eyes firmly on the floor. She forced herself not to look; she didn't _want_ to look. But her eyes began moving of their own accord, soon settling on the motionless pink figure propped up against the side.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at Aerith's body.

For a while, they all stared at her, no one saying or doing anything, then Red got up and walked away, disappearing out of sight. A mournful howl pierced the evening air shortly after. Then Cid, Vincent and even Cait Sith all paid their farewells. Yuffie was probably the worst, the ninja trembling until her sobs came bursting out and she ran off. Then it was just the three of them, herself, Cloud and Barrett. Between them, they'd known Aerith the longest. And it hadn't even been that long, she suddenly realized, and yet somehow Aerith had become such a fixture in their lives that it seemed like she'd always been there.

And now she wasn't.

Barrett went over and looked down at her, then came and put his hand on Cloud's shoulder in a consoling manner. Then he walked off. As he left, Tifa came over. She knelt down beside Aerith's still form and reached out with her hand, smoothing the brown locks away from the other girl's face so she could see her one last time. For a moment, it looked as though a slight smile turned up the edge of those pink lips, but it was only a trick of the light. It was as Cloud said, Aerith would never smile again.

The realization hit her with the force of a hammer and was every bit as painful. She got up and fled, running down and out to where the others were waiting as she tried to control her tears. After a minute, Cloud came down, Aerith's body cradled in his arms. Cloud, Aerith and herself, she mused; she thought back to competing with the other girl for Cloud's affections even as they became best friends. Tifa still wasn't sure how Aerith had managed that, but she had. And now that best friend was gone. Cloud led the small procession to the edge of the lake and waded out into it. As Tifa watched, he lowered Aerith into the water, her hair splaying across the surface. Then he let go, and Aerith slowly sank, disappearing into the shimmering blue water.

It was a sorry crew that assembled later. Misery was etched on every face. And why wouldn't they be miserable? Their heart had just been ripped out and now lay behind them in an abandoned city. As Tifa looked back to where their dear friend and companion had ended her journey, she whispered to herself, "We'll finish this, Aerith. I promise. We'll keep going until it's done." They would press on.

* * *

The _Highwind_ landed and the exhausted party disembarked. It had been a long, hard road, full of danger and mishaps, but they had come to the end. Sephiroth was defeated, Shinra was all but gone, Meteor had been destroyed and the world was saved. Tifa looked out at what was left of Midgar. Meteor had come so close it had devastated the city, and when the Lifestream had emerged, it had done almost as much damage. The cost had been high, but at the end of it all, they had succeeded.

Once again, Tifa thought of Master Zangan's question, "What will you do if your lives end before you die?" Life as they knew it was over. And now, all that was left to do was to build a new one out of the ashes of the old. It would be long, it would be hard, it would be painful, but in the end, it would be worth it. Out of destruction, they would create something greater. It was all they could do. They would continue. They would press on.

**Author's Note:**

> This I think is the core of what Final Fantasy VII is about, what do you do when the unthinkable happens? And I feel Tifa embodies that more than anyone. She keeps getting the rug pulled out from under her, but keeps getting up and going on.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading, any feedback is appreciated.


End file.
